LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Christie makes retirees villains

Candidate Chris Christie ran ads bragging how he had fixed the pension system by making public employees pay more and eliminating the cost-of-living adjustment for retirees.

The plan called for the state to make no payment the first year, then make a payment of one-seventh the required amount the next year, with increasing increments of one-seventh until it was fully funded. The state was flush with money, so an income tax cut (skewed toward the rich) was promised if only the mean Democrats would let him.

Fast-forward to Gov. Christie. Now, only a few years into the plan, he wants to renege on the state’s payment, pitting it against education funding and making the greedy retirees the villain. Christie knew the costs would escalate when he agreed to the plan but no doubt figured he would be in the White House when the bills came due.

Now fortunes have changed for the governor, and he needs to find a scapegoat. Look for him to pick loud fights with the unions to distract from the alleged scandals involving his staff.